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Sir Lancelot was a close friend of Merlin and a Knight of the Round Table who was also in love with Guinevere. He was a good man, devoted to protecting people and helping his friends. He was one of the first to discover Merlin's magic, which he kept secret, and was one of few people who would ever discover it. His death shocked Camelot when he gave his life in place of Arthur's upon the Isle of the Blessed to heal the tear in the veil between the Spirit and Regular world.

Contents

History

Little is known about Lancelot's early life, only that he lost his family when his home was ransacked by bandits and only he got away. This made Lancelot vow to never again be as helpless as he was that day. Lancelot would had spent some time wandering around until he found Camelot.

Meeting Merlin

Lancelot fights the Griffin

“It's my life ambition to join the knights of Camelot”

— Lancelot to Merlin[src]

Lancelot first meets Merlin when he saves him from a Griffin in the forests. Merlin was surprised at his courage and takes him back to Camelot. They soon become good friends and Lancelot soon tells Merlin his biggest wish was to be a member of the Knights of Camelot, but only noblemen are able to be a Knight of Camelot, so Merlin uses his magic to create a seal of nobility to make him the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. Merlin asks Gwen to provide clothes and armour so Lancelot looks like a nobleman. Lancelot falls for Gwen, only naming her "my lady" and although Gwen is pleased with the name, she tells him she is not a lady and shouldn't be addressed as one. He is happy to find out that Merlin is only friends with Gwen and he later would tell Arthur he thinks she is very beautiful.

Lancelot getting knighted for the first time

Lancelot tries out for the knights and although at first Arthur is left feeling a bit unimpressed, he sees the potential he has, so he is given the task of cleaning the stables, and would sometimes help Merlin, which to him Arthur does not treat him quite as well as he should. Soon, he would be given a second chance when Arthur tests him. Both men use two brooms as staffs and duel and ends with Arthur telling Lancelot he had passed his first test and he should go to basic training where he finds himself being made one of the Knights of Camelot.

But Uther did not think he was a noble man and asked the historian, Geoffrey of Monmounth to make sure his seal of nobility was not a forgery, which he found it was. Lancelot was thrown into prison but Arthur did not share his father's anger towards Lancelot and went to free him, telling him his father has banished him from Camelot and he must never return. But Lancelot, although he decided he is best to depart, does not wish to depart without the griffin being stopped. He goes to Gwen's home to get his armour, where he bids his goodbye to Gwen who begs him to stay and not go and fight the griffin to which he says he must go as it is his duty whether he be a knight or not. He makes it in time to find Arthur wounded and he alone must fight against the Griffin. As he alone rides towards the Griffin with a lance, Merlin enchants the lance which makes the Griffin fall. As Arthur awoke, he is led to think Lancelot had slain the Griffin and thanks him. Arthur takes him to his father, where he begs an exception is made in Lancelot's place by which he is made a knight but Lancelot decides he still had a lot to prove to himself and says he intends to depart anyway to redeem himself for lying to him. Before he departed, he thanks Merlin and tells him he knows he has magic because he heard him enchant the lance. He promises to keep the magic secret and says goodbye (Lancelot).

Reunion with Gwen

Lancelot would travel to many places after departing Camelot and he starts earning a living by fighting for other's entertainment. He feels hopeless and that his life has become meaningless. At one point, he found himself fighting for Hengist, a horrible man who had also kidnapped Gwen. He sneaks to Gwen's prison and finds out the bandits had mistaken her for Morgana and were holding her ransom, but Gwen does not think anyone was going to either pay the ransom or save her and so when Hengist realizes the truth, he will kill her. Lancelot promises he won't allow this to happen and promises to free her. He says he has now found his reason to live again. But when they try to escape, Lancelot has to stay behind to fight some of the bandits, where they share a kiss and their feelings for each other were rekindled. But both are captured and sent to be executed where they both declare their love for each other.

But to their surprise, Arthur and Merlin suddenly appear and rescue them, as Arthur's feelings for Gwen also meant he too, would not forget her and let her die. While making their way home to Camelot, Lancelot notices that Arthur appears upset by Lancelot's presence and Gwen's feelings for him. He also notices Gwen and Arthur were being strangely indifferent to each other. But Lancelot was not fooled and he soon realized they both had strong but unspoken feelings for each other. He questions Merlin and finds out this was true, and although he has his own feelings for Gwen, he says he won't get between her and Arthur. Saying it was best he depart, he tells Merlin to pass on a message to Gwen, saying perhaps they aren't meant to be but she has changed his life forever (Lancelot and Guinevere).

Saving Camelot

He returns again with his friend Percival when Merlin sent word he needed help. Camelot had been lost to Morgana and they were being pursued by soldiers from an immortal army. They stop them by making big boulders fall and goes with Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Sir Leon and Gaius to an ancient castle (Castle of the Ancient Kings), where Arthur proposes they try and fight the immortal army to save his father.

"Rise, Sir Lancelot"

He also notices Arthur and Gwen were quite close, and he sees them kiss. As they sit amongst the round table, Lancelot was the first to stand up and say he would be honoured to fight alongside him with pride because Arthur had taught him the knight's code and so he is knighted by Arthur as a Knight of Camelot. He then discusses plans for the battle and tells Merlin he is the bravest of them all, and thus he should be knighted. He then goes to and saves Camelot, although he is wounded during the final battle which he does not suffer much from. He then goes back to the Castle of the Ancient Kings to get Gwen and Gaius, guarding them as they went home wearing the knight's armour with the great crest of Camelot (The Coming of Arthur: Part 2).

Time as a Knight

As a Knight

Lancelot is seen again one year later as one of the knights of Camelot. Although not much is known about what he and the other knights did during this time, he rides out with Arthur to explore mysterious reports about strange beings going to small towns and attacking these towns, many whom had suffered deaths. He and the others soon find out they are named the Dorocha, and he saves Merlin from one when he finds that his magic does not appear to be working against what appear to be ghosts. Upon finding out the only way to stop them is to repair the veil between their world and the dead, he sets out to help Arthur, Merlin and the other knights on their quest to get to the Isle of the Blessed. Before he departs, he has one last word with Gwen, who makes him promise to protect Arthur. The group set up camp among the forest, and he goes to help Merlin find wood to plead with him to go home because there is nothing he is able to do his magic is useless and he is no soldier. But Merlin says he won't, as he does not wish to depart his friends. Soon, Lancelot helplessly sees Merlin get seriously wounded by one of the spirits (The Darkest Hour: Part One).

Arthur struggles to decide whether he should turn around and take his friend back home and try again another time or go on with the quest with Merlin. He decides Merlin must go home to Gaius so he will be saved but Sir Leon and some of the other knights say the quest must also go on. Lancelot then goes alone with Merlin to get him home to Gaius. They stop by a stream to rest and drink water as Merlin gets worse.

Lancelot, looking after a sick Merlin

But then, a type of spirit appear to Lancelot, telling him they are kind spirits who live amongst brooks and streams who also wish to go home when the veil is restored. They say they want to help him and Merlin, saying they both still have an important part to play and Merlin has a destiny written about since the dawn of time. They heal Merlin and give them shelter and protection for the night while Merlin rested. By morning, they set out to find Arthur and the others again and they talk about why they are helping Arthur. Merlin says he thinks Lancelot is only helping Arthur because he has promised Gwen, and he says he needs to stay away from Arthur and Gwen's happiness as he does not wish to ruin what they have but Arthur is also is friend. But they are pursued by the spirits again and so Merlin has no choice but to summon the great dragon, who goes to help them. At first, Lancelot is a little scared by the dragon's sudden presence, drawing his sword. But he stops when he realizes he is a friend of Merlin's. Upon discovering who he was, the dragon names him the "bravest and most noble of them all" which a humble Lancelot says he does not think is true. Lancelot soon hears the dragon and Merlin bid their goodbyes to each other, and he finds out that not only is Arthur intending to die to repair the veil, but Merlin intends to take his place. He tells Merlin he admires him and wonders perhaps that maybe he would have the courage to save his friend's life by giving his own. (The Darkest Hour: Part Two).

Lancelot's Sacrifice

On the Isle of the Blessed, Lancelot sacrifices himself instead of Merlin (after he takes the place of Arthur after knocking him out) and walks though the Veil, fulfilling the blood-sacrifice required by the Cailleach, thus sealing the Veil to the spirit world, saving Camelot. Before walking though the Veil, he looks back at Merlin, giving him a small smile and nod, before embracing his fate and walking with open arms into Veil (The Darkest Hour: Part Two).

Lancelot's memorial

Lancelot's death comes as a big shock to Camelot, he is heavily mourned by Merlin and his fellow knights. Arthur says that Lancelot is one of the bravest and noblest knights Camelot has ever had. He conducts a memorial service by burning a knight's cloak and Lancelot's sword on a woodpile in the courtyard. Gwen is also especially mournful as tells Arthur that she thinks that Lancelot sacrificed himself not for Camelot, but because he was true to his promise to her to keep Arthur safe, and he promised he would do so with his life.

Releasing of The Shade

Morgana resurrected Lancelot as a Shade, he had an affair with Guinevere. Arthur had Gwen exiled from Camelot, but before he could pass judgement on Lancelot (unbeknownst that he was Shade), a final order from Morgana came ordering the Shade to kill himself, thus sparing Arthur the need to punish him. Arthur, melancholic on hearing the news, assumed "Lancelot" had done so out of guilt and because of his strong sense of right and wrong, commenting that he had always been a man of honour "in all ways but one". Arthur therefore gave orders for him to have a proper burial. Merlin then took the Shade to the lake and performed a blessing on Lancelot's body. This temporarily resurrected Lancelot for a few seconds where it was shown that his soul was now free from Morgana's control and he was restored to his true self. He looked at Merlin and spoke his final words: "Merlin, thank you". Lancelot finally died in peace and Merlin cast his friend's body across the lake in a floating pyre, igniting it with magic (Lancelot du Lac).

Personality

“I want to pay tribute to Sir Lancelot. We owe him a great debt. It is not just his deed that we'll never forget. It's his courage. His compassion. His unselfish heart.He was the most noble knight I'll ever know. He gave his life for all of us.”

Lancelot had a very strong sense of right and wrong. He was never comfortable with the idea of lying about his social status in order to qualify for knighthood. He also didn't like to take the credit for another's work, as he refused to do so when Merlin killed the Griffin and everyone thought Lancelot had. Lancelot was polite and respectful towards people of higher rank than himself, even if they treated him unfairly. He was a very selfless and honourable man.

During his duel with Arthur, Lancelot defeated the prince through trickery rather than skill. However, in a real battle a warrior would need every advantage they could get and earlier in the episode Arthur believed that Lancelot was not ready for a real battle. Therefore, Arthur accepted his defeat and allowed Lancelot to join the Knights of Camelot.

Lancelot was willing to risk his own life to save the people he cared about. He developed feelings for Guinevere as soon as he met her but despite this he left so he wouldn't come between her and Arthur, displaying his selflessness. Eventually, he sacrificed his life to keep to a promise he had made to Gwen; to protect Arthur with his life.

Kilgharrah greatly respected Lancelot, telling him that he was the bravest and most noble knight in Camelot. Although he was certainly a courageous and noble man, Lancelot apparently had some insecurities about his own courage because at first he was doubtful that what Kilgharrah said was true. This shows that in addition to his courage and selflessness he was also very humble.

Relationships

Merlin

“You know, Merlin? You're the one Arthur should knight. You're the bravest of us all and he doesn't even know it.”

Merlin appears to be Lancelot's best friend. Lancelot was willing to die for him when he sacrificed himself at the Isle of the Blessed. Merlin did many things for Lancelot, like attempting to make him a Knight of Camelot and giving him comfort when he needed it. They shared secrets between each other, like Merlin having magic and Lancelot loving Guinevere. When Merlin sent word for Lancelot to help Arthur take back Camelot he arrived as soon as he could. After he became a Knight of Camelot, and sacrificed himself a year later to vanquish the Dorocha, Merlin mourned very heavily as did everyone else. When Lancelot was resurrected as a Shade, moments after returning to Camelot, Merlin suspected he was not himself, and something sinister was at play. Lancelot, while working for Morgana, kissed Guinevere in front of Arthur and was ordered by Morgana to kill himself again. When he did, Merlin temporarily returned him from the dead to free his soul. When he was freed and reanimated he spoke his last words to Merlin: "Merlin... Thank you." He died peacefully, leaving Merlin to mourn even heavier than the first time.

Guinevere Pendragon

When Lancelot first saw Guinevere he was instantly attracted to her, and called her "My lady". Gwen was sad when Lancelot left, and she shared her emotions with Morgana. Lancelot was reunited with Guinevere when she was impersonating Morgana, and helped her escape, sharing a kiss before parting. In the process, Lancelot was captured by Hengist's men and was later ordered to be fed to the Wilddeoren.

He later discovered that Gwen didn't escape, and that she was set to be fed to the Wilddeoren as well. However, they were both saved by Arthur and Merlin. Lancelot left when he discovered that Arthur was in love with Gwen, so that he wouldn't come between them. When Lancelot was reunited with Guinevere again, they had little interaction, he only guided her back to Camelot along with the other Knights. When Arthur intended to sacrifice himself, Gwen asked Lancelot to bring him home safely. Lancelot promised he'd give his life for Arthur, and meant it literally. Gwen mourned at his burial, longer than everybody else. What Guinevere feels about him after their presumed betrayal of Arthur is unknown.

Arthur Pendragon

“You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life. To fight with honour for justice, freedom, and all that's good. I believe in the world that you will build.”

Lancelot was good friends with Arthur, despite them both being in love with Guinevere. Arthur insisted on Lancelot being a Knight of Camelot, only to discover that it was forgery. He later decided to free Lancelot from prison and told him to leave. But soon after, Lancelot (and Merlin) killed the Griffin. Arthur demanded that Uther knight Lancelot, but Uther refused. Upon discovering that Merlin defeated the Griffin, Lancelot left Camelot. Arthur next saw Lancelot when he was fighting alongside him to kill a Wilddeoren. Arthur later discovered that Lancelot and Gwen were in love, and was heartbroken. However, Lancelot soon discovered that Arthur was also in love with Gwen, and he selflessly departed.

A long time after, Arthur gladly welcomed him into his small group of Knights resisting Morgana Pendragon. Lancelot was later Knighted. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table then fought and defeated the Immortal army, and survived. As a Knight of Camelot, he served Arthur honourably, and Arthur said that he was the bravest and noblest of all his Knights. Lancelot proved this by sacrificing himself for Albion when the Dorocha were freed.

Gaius

Lancelot and Gaius had a similar bond to Gaius and Merlin, since Lancelot lived in the same household. Gaius gladly supported Lancelot as he tried to become a Knight of Camelot, but accepted Lancelot's decision to leave after fighting the Griffen. Gaius next met Lancelot several years later when both of them were part of a resistance set up by Arthur to defeat Morgana. Lancelot was then made a Knight and they succeeded in taking back Camelot. As a knight, Lancelot lived in the same household as Gaius and Merlin. Gaius appeared to be very sad when Lancelot died, and was among the happiest members of the court when he returned as a Shade.

Percival

Lancelot first met Percival when Percival's village fell at the hands of an Immortal army. Percival and Lancelot then agreed to help each other find Lancelot's old friend, Arthur, and defeat the army. When they met with Arthur, they were both Knighted and they succeeded in defeating the Immortal army. As knights, they both went on many adventures and like everyone else, Percival was sad both times Lancelot died.

Morgana Pendragon

Lancelot seemingly respected Morgana when he arrived in Camelot but when she betrayed Camelot, he plotted against her. He also thwarted Morgana's plan by sacrificing himself and closing the veil between the worlds. Morgana seemed to respect Lancelot a lot despite her using him in a plot to separate Gwen from Arthur, as she expressed to be sad beyond words when she had to strip him of his former glory and force him into adultery with Gwen, since he had lost all his former pride and glory.

The Great Dragon

Lancelot only met the Great Dragon once, but at that time he told Lancelot that he was the "bravest and noblest of them all...". Lancelot was at first frightened by Kilgharrah and raised his sword, but when Merlin stopped him, he respected Kilgharrah as a magnificent creature and appeared to be proud that Merlin had the ability to command him.

The Vilia

Lancelot is amazed at the Vilia's abilities

When The Veil was torn and Merlin was on the brink of death, Lancelot was taking him back to Camelot when he found the Vilia. They had a conversation before they cured Merlin. Lancelot smiled as they provided them protection from the Dorocha.

Abilities

Lancelot was a highly skilled swordsman and one of the very few who was able to fight Arthur as an equal and defeated him during their duel. It should be noted however that he defeated Arthur through trickery rather than skill (Lancelot). Like Arthur he was capable of defending himself against numerous opponents at once, defeating several of Hengist's bandits before finally being subdued. When he and Merlin went to search for the Cup of Life he fought against numerous immortal Knights and drove them into the path of Excalibur, which was being wielded by Merlin, resulting in the knight's defeat. Hengist was impressed by Lancelot's combat prowess noting that he was a skillful warrior (Lancelot and Guinevere). Later Lancelot beat Arthur a second time, this time without cheating, when he confronted the king as a Shade and proved victorious. If it was not for Merlin's magic, Arthur would have been slain by Lancelot. His remarkable proficiency with a sword makes him one of the finest warriors in the history of Camelot.

In addition to being a formidable opponent with a sword, Lancelot was skilled with a lance using it to slay a Griffin that attacked Camelot. However his lance was made more powerful by Merlin's magic and Lancelot claimed that it was Merlin, not he, that had killed the griffin.

Name

Lancelot is a masculine name of French origin. The meaning of the name is "attendant".

After the Shade Lancelot killed himself in Lancelot du Lac, Arthur said he was an honourable man in all ways but one, which showed that he still respected him a lot.

In the Legends

Sir Lancelot or Lancelot (Launcelot) Du Lac was one of the Knights of The Round Table in the Arthurian Legend. He was first introduced by Chrétien de Troyes in his work "Erec and Enide" written in 12th Century. However, in Le Chevalier de la Charette, he is the main character. Lancelot participated in many of Arthur's adventures and he was portrayed as the most perfect and bravest knight of all. He is well known for his love affair with Queen Guinevere whom he fall in love with. According to Le Morte d'Arthur, their adultery caused the destruction of the Round Table, the fall of the Kingdom and Mordred's betrayal of King Arthur. Lancelot is the son of King Ban of Benwick and Elaine and also father of Galahad (with Elaine of Cobreric, daughter of the Fisher King). He was sent by Lady of The Lake to the Camelot's court to serve King Arthur's army as a knight and he became the most loyal friend of Sir Gawain. Amongst his adventures, he faced the Dolorous Guard and ended peacefully the war between King Arthur and his former enemy Galehaut. Also, he played an important role in the quest for the Holy Grail according to the French Arthurian romance, Perlesvaus.

"You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life. To fight with honour for justice, freedom, and all that's good. I believe in the world that you will build." to Arthur.

"Ever since I was a child I've dreamed of coming here. It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot" to Merlin.

"Maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot." to Arthur and Uther